Seventh Secret came from off the pace in a race filled with early speed to record his second Open win of the season at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Saturday night (Oct. 21).
Jimmy Devaux pilots the veteran pacer for trainer Lisa Zabielski and sat back with the 12-year-old in the early going as first half fractions of :26.2 and :55.3 were put up. The race’s favourite, Soul Assassin (Mitch Cushing), was dictating the tempo on the engine in the $15,000 feature and was confronted by Seventh Secret, who tipped three-wide around a parked out rival approaching the three-quarter pole. Seventh Secret looked like he was about to clear heading into the final turn, but Soul Assassin seemed to find a second wind and rallied back on the rail. Those two did battle into the stretch before Seventh Secret got the better of his rival late in the game en route to a 1:53.2 victory.
It was the second Open Pace victory of the season for Seventh Secret, who paid $7.50 to win on Saturday. Soul Assassin wound up a gutsy second to complete a $21.40 exacta while Century Endeavor (Brett Beckwith) closed from post eight to finish third and round out a $233 triple.
The win was the 40th in the career of Seventh Secret, who now has lifetime earnings of just shy of $640,000. The Allamerican Native gelding is owned by Mark Salerno of Felton, Delaware.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)